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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Tumors And Cancer
What is the most common type of thyroid cancer?
Follicular carcinoma
Papillary carcinoma
Medullary carcinoma
Anaplastic carcinoma
Papillary carcinoma
Papillary carcinoma is the most common thyroid cancer (60-70% of all thyroid cancers). Follicular carcinoma is the second most common thyroid cancer type (10-20% of cases), followed by medullary thyroid cancer (5%), then anaplastic carcinoma (under 5% of cases).
Example Question #1 : Conditions And Treatments
Which thyroid cancer will present with a proliferation of parafollicular cells (c cells) that produce excess calcitonin?
Follicular carcinoma
Medullary carcinoma
Papillary carcinoma
Anaplastic carcinoma
Medullary carcinoma
Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid originates from the parafollicular cells (c cells). Elevated levels of calcitonin in these patients cause diarrhea, which is the most common clinical symptom. Papillary carcinoma, follicular carcinoma, and anaplastic carcinoma are not associated with any significant elevation in calcitonin levels.
Example Question #2 : Tumors And Cancer
What cancer presents with the following triad: hematuria, flank pain, and an abdominal mass?
Hodgkin's lymphoma
Mesothelioma
Renal cell carcinoma
Ewing's sarcoma
Renal cell carcinoma
Hematuria, flank pain, and an abdominal mass are all signs of renal cell carcinoma, an adenocarcinoma originating in the proximal proximal tubule of the kidney.
Mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure, Ewing's sarcoma is a type of bone cancer common in children and adolescents, and Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer that originates in the lymphocytes of the blood.
Example Question #3 : Tumors And Cancer
What is the most common type of liver cancer?
Teratoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatoblastoma
Cholangiocarcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for approximately 75% of all primary liver cancers.
Cholangiocarcinoma and hepatoblastoma are rare forms of liver cancer, and a teratoma is a tumor that contains normal-appearing tissues from multiple germ layers, which can appear in multiple locations in the body.
Example Question #1 : Identifying Types Of Tumor
All of the following cancers frequently metastasize to bone except __________.
lung cancer
prostate cancer
breast cancer
stomach cancer
stomach cancer
Breast, lung, kidney, and prostate cancers make up approximately 80% of metastases to bone. Stomach cancer can metastasize to bone, but it does so only rarely.
Example Question #2 : Identifying Types Of Tumor
The appearance of red, purple, brown, or black papular lesions on the extremities, back, face, mouth, and genitalia is a typical presentation for what malignancy?
Pancreatic cancer
Burkitt lymphoma
Melanoma
Kaposi sarcoma
Kaposi sarcoma
Kaposi sarcoma presents with red, purple, brown, or black papular lesions on the extremities, back, face, mouth, and genitalia. It is caused by human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) and is typically seen in immunocompromised patients.
Neither Burkitt lymphoma nor pancreatic cancer typically present with any associated skin lesions, while melanomas tend to be singular lesions.
Example Question #3 : Identifying Types Of Tumor
What type of cancer generally presents with elevated calcium, renal failure, anemia, and lytic bone lesions?
Multiple myeloma
Gastric cancer
Ovarian cancer
Osteosarcoma
Multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma, also known as plasma cell myeloma or Kahler's disease, presents with lytic bone lesions, blood count abnormalities, elevated blood calcium, and an abnormal paraprotein antibodies which can cause damage to kidneys.
Osteosarcoma, while located in the bone, tends to present with a mass visible on imaging. Gastric and ovarian cancer are not associated with any changes in bone (unless due to metastasis).
Example Question #3 : Conditions And Treatments
What is the most common malignant brain tumor in children?
Meningioma
Medulloblastoma
Glioblastoma
Juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma
Medulloblastoma
90% of medulloblastomas are in pediatric patients. It is the tumor type in 14.5% of primary brain malignancies of childhood and adolescence. Glioblastoma is the most common type of brain tumor in adults and accounts for 52% of all primary brain tumors. Meningiomas are also fairly common in adult populations, accounting for 34% of primary brain tumors. Juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma is a brain tumor of childhood but only accounts for 2% of cases.
Example Question #1 : Conditions And Treatments
Actinic keratosis occasionally develops into which skin cancer?
Squamous cell carcinoma
Merkel cell carcinoma
Melanoma
Basal cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma
Actinic keratosis occasionally develops into squamous cell carcinoma and is generally removed prophylactically. Actinic keratosis is not associated with development of any of the other skin cancer types listed.
Example Question #5 : Conditions And Treatments
Which of the following types of lung cancer is most linked to cigarette smoking?
Adenocarcinoma
Mesothelioma
Small cell carcinoma
Bronchial carcinoids
Small cell carcinoma
Small cell carcinoma (also called oat cell cancer) makes up 15% of lung cancers and almost always presents in patients with a history of cigarette smoking.
Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer in patients who have never smoked. Mesothelioma is most commonly caused by asbestos exposure, while bronchial carcinoids are often of unknown etiology.
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